The Week Between Christmas and New Year's

Having two big holidays so close to each other always provides for lots of holiday time off from work. So instead of drinking diet soda just to get through the days, I can actually take time and savor each sip and maybe sample something I haven't had in a while.

The day after Christmas I was really craving some orange soda, so I hopped over to the store and bought some Diet Sunkist. I don't think I've had Sunkist in ages, but it was just what I needed. A refreshing reminder of summer on a very chilly winter day. It really hit the spot after a day full of food, presents, and family.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and has super fun plans for New Year's Eve. I think I'll be attending a small get together will close friends, as opposed to hitting the bars and clubs. Whatever your plans are, I wish you great success in the upcoming year.

I'll see you in 2008 with more on diet soda and healthy living!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope that all the presents have been purchased and wrapped and that the tree has been trimmed because Christmas Day is on Tuesday. It really snuck up on me this year, and this cold I've been suffering from the last few days hasn't helped.

I hope that all of my readers have a great holiday season. I'll be back before the end of the year with some new posts. Remember to spread that Christmas cheer with some diet soda!

Here's a pic of my Christmas tree, sorry about the poor quality, but I only have a camera phone (are you listening Santa?).

Another New Product

Seems like new stuff keeps hitting the shelves faster than I can sample it and get up a post. BevNet reminded me of a new product I had been meaning to get something up about, but had simply forgotten.

In partnership with Coca Cola North America, Caribou Coffee has some new iced coffee beverages on stores shelves and in coolers. I've picked up a couple of bottles of the regular flavor and really like the cool aluminum bottle packaging. The taste is not as sweet as most of the other iced coffees I've had, and at 120 calories, it's not going to kill your diet or waistline either.

Check out the BevNet review here: Caribou Coffee.

Here is some information from Coke. I like that name for the bottle Alumi-Tek, feels so sci-fi.

While doing a little research for this post, I found this great site from Coke that details all new products: New Products. Pretty awesome!

More Activity = Less Body Fat

From a Reuters story comes some great news for the girls of America (of which I used to be one), and further incentive to be physically active.

"An additional 11 minutes of brisk walking or similar activity as girls age from the sixth to eighth grade appears to attenuate increased body fat," lead author Dr. June Stevens told Reuters Health. "This provides strong evidence that active girls are healthier."

I know it can be hard to keep the physical activity up with all the distractions of modern life, but this evidence is very compelling. I know I spent hundreds of hours on the phone talking about boys and drill team, so I am aware of how time can slip by. Thankfully I had an outlet for physical activity that I really enjoyed (and included cool costumes and tons of make-up). So to all the youngsters out there I say find something you like and spend an extra few minutes a day at it, your body will thank you.

New Flavors

Just in time for the holidays, Cadbury has unveiled some new flavors for their flagship products 7Up and Dr. Pepper.

I don't think I've seen a pomegranate flavored version of a soft drink before, but behold Pomegranate 7Up. "With its natural Pomegranate flavor and deep burgundy color, Pomegranate 7UP is a festive addition to the holiday season," said Matt Smith, 7Up brand director for CSAB. "Pomegranate is one of the fastest growing flavors in beverages today, and Pomegranate 7Up makes a perfect primer for any holiday party." Better act fast on this though, the pomegranate version of the UNCOLA will only be available until the end of January. No diet version, darn!

Also new on shelves is Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper. This goes along with the very successful Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper (which I often refer to as DCVDP) and Diet Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream. It's a limited edition too, so grab it while you can. It's sure to be in short supply as Dr. Pepper has created an Internet sensation with this re-mixed video of Tay Zonday's YouTube hit "Chocolate Rain." Check out "Cherry Chocolate Rain" below:

Infuriated

"Do Diet Sodas Make You Fat?" This story just keeps coming up again and again, and each time it really ticks me off. I guess it makes for a "sexy" story, that something might do the opposite of what you expect, but it doesn't pass the scientific or common sense tests. I had trouble passing the scientific tests in college, but that's another story :-P.

Fact is that studies over the years have shown that products sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose can help with weight management.

Of course you should think about what you are eating, that's what effective dieting and weight loss are all about. Making simple substitutions like changing from a full calorie soda to a diet soda is an easy way to trim off a few calories a day, especially with all of the great tasting options that are available now. Dieters and the weight conscious shouldn't be scared by stories that their zero-calorie soft drinks are what is causing weight gain.

The Calorie Control Council has some great information on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners here and some info on how aspartame can be effective for weight loss here.

Hot Product

From the responses and comments I've seen I knew this to be the case, but now it's official! Coke Zero is one of the hottest products of 2007. According to AOL's bloggingstocks.com the beverage has succeeded where others have failed due to one factor...taste.

"Amidst the blizzard of new, reformulated, ginseng-and-caffeine-enhanced, electrolyte-balanced, energy-providing drinks flooding the grocery store shelves is one new hit product that thrives for one simple reason -- it tastes better than its competitors."

The story features some cool stats like the 34% increase in sales for Coke Zero this year.

It joins other hot products of 2007 like the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. Admittedly, a lot of folks would rather have those under the tree this holiday season than a case of Coke Zero. Me? I'll take the fizzy stuff.